


THE BEACH HOUSE

by PoisonedPrada



Category: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-08-02
Packaged: 2019-05-13 11:27:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 21,027
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14747952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoisonedPrada/pseuds/PoisonedPrada
Summary: Miranda and Andrea tell the moment in their view point ~





	1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1 ~ CARING

“I want to live there” the new transplant to the city murmured, then she smiled, silly her.

“I wonder how much a house by the ocean would cost?” she keeps thinking to herself.  
She shook her head, and yet she stood there mesmerized, that one, the beautiful white house, with the four panel windows overlooking the pier. The one with two stories and balconies that screamed late nigh wine glasses and sunrise coffee, outlined in lines of soft teal and peeking out from the rest of the crowd. She knew it was a dream, but here standing on edge of the sand, where millionaires owned their homes, no one knew who she was, where she came from, she could dream, that she was not a starry eyed dreamer, she could pretend she was a someone, she could pretend the beach house was hers.

She closed her eyes, for a brief second, the breeze felt cold against her face. She fantasized, someone would tap her, ask her if she was well. She’d nod into the eyes of a handsome stranger, a handsome stranger who would want to marry her and take her to the impossible beach house she was still thinking about. 

She waited, but no one came. She knew it was a silly game. All these scenarios she played out in her mind all those reeling thoughts about how she’d fall in love, about how she’d get out of poverty, about how her life would be the smashing success she always thought it would be. She blamed the recent thoughts on her breakup with Nate. She shook her head and got ready for the drive back to downtown.

The next day too she daydreamed, except now she was at work, finishing her editorial waiting for the final word count. Why did she have to babysit the employees? If you’re paid to do a certain job she could not understand why they never did it. Ethic, what a joke she shook her head back against the office door.   
“Penny for your thoughts Andrea,” came a whispered voice  
“Miranda,” she said not having to turn around to know who it was.  
“What’s wrong?” the voice probed again sensing that something was wrong.  
Andrea turned around only to encounter a pair of crystal blue eyes too close to her.  
“Nothing is wrong, I’m a little tired and still waiting for layout to send me an approval on word count,” she said getting up and relinquishing the seat to her boss.  
“Did you go out last night?” her boss asked, voice going from concern to disdain?   
“Um, no I just have a few problems at home, family stuff.”  
“Have you done the interview I asked for next week? And did you find out about the HR problem at Vogue? Did you get Hermes to resent their background story?”  
The questions came rapid fire and the change of mood caught her of guard, but not so much that she could not muster some ,”yes, no and hmmm” as Miranda walked out of the office.  
Miranda still perplexed her. She had offered her a spot on editorial after a year of working with her, sometimes she would come around and they would have a pleasant work conversation, she would even her about the girls. And other days like today, she seemed cold and distant.  
What the fuck was wrong with that lady?   
Suddenly she was startled by someone else.  
“Oh, my god you scared me,” she yelped looking up from her desk.  
“Sorry,” the intruder said.  
Andrea laughed, she looked at the tall man in front of her, dark piercing eyes matching the black Armani he wore.  
“You have a beautiful laugh,” he offered, she blushed.  
She was about to answer he had beautiful eyes when Miranda walked in again, the man stiffened and dropped the layout scheme on the desk.  
“Miranda,” he nodded as he fled from the office.  
“Don’t get my employees distracted Andrea, and finish the article,” she murmured and walked away.  
Andrea stared at the empty space her boss left, and she smiled. Something inside of her hated Miranda and yet she could never understand why she loved to talk to her.

After work she went to the ocean view home again, here she was no one, no one was her boss, no one could fire here. In this trendy zone, she could be a millionaire for all people knew or she could be married to one? She sat down at one of the benches and sipped hot coffee.   
She always wondered why she wasn’t born rich? Why she had to fight for what little she had. Why was there so much disparity in the world? The ultra rich and the starving poor? Her mother had always told her God knew what he was doing, but at times she doubted it.   
“So thoughtful again.”  
Andrea tensed, and yet it was calming to hear her voice, to know her icy blue eyes would be staring at her.   
“Are you following me?” Andrea threw back.  
“You flatter yourself much?” the voice said and yet Andrea felt the warmth of her body as Miranda took a seat next to her.  
“I should not have reprimanded you today,” she said still wondering why she had bothered to say those words. She too had walked out of work, tired and frustrated, she had planned to go down to and grab a drink but then she saw her, her employee, walking along the street and she could not help herself.  
“Are you apologizing?” the question interrupted her thoughts and she felt irritated.  
“I don’t apologize, that’s all you’re getting,” she quipped.  
“I’ll take it,” Andrea said turning to her with a barely visible smile as the sun set and darkness overtook.  
“What are you doing here alone?” she asked again, she wanted to know more about her.  
“Why don’t I take you for a drink and I won’t be alone anymore?” Andrea said as her eyes widened, she didn’t know where the courage had come from. Why would she want to take Miranda out for a drink, she was so infuriating. Maybe it would turn out good, having someone like her as a friend could boost her career. Maybe she could buy that beach house, she thought smiling to herself and stealing a look at the houses.  
“They’re beautiful are they not?” Miranda marbled avoiding the journalists question.  
Andrea nodded, she didn’t want to discuss her personal traumas with her boss.  
“It’s the only thing that gives me calm at the end of the day, the waves as I fall asleep,” Miranda shared.  
Great she had an ocean view house, of course she did, not only did she own a townhome but also an ocean view house. Life was definitely not fair.  
“It’s getting late, I should go. Goodnight Miranda,” the young woman whispered.  
There was a pause.  
A moment where neither said a thing, as if pondering the line of friendship.  
“What happened to drinks?” Miranda took a risk. She did feel lonely, ever since her divorce she felt alone. A huge house and no one to share it with. Sure her daughters were the light of her life, but they were often away, at boarding school, or summer camp, or at her fathers. She talked to herself but no one knew that.   
“you didn’t answer, I thought it would be below you” Andrea answered walking away from the bench.  
Miranda didn’t bother to ask her to stay, what was she thinking? Pleading her employee for drinks, how desperate would that look?  
“But would you care for me to escort you?”  
Miranda was startled, Andrea had gone around the bench and was now extending her hand to the older lady sitting on the bench.  
Miranda nodded and they walked in silence.   
When they finally arrived to the main street, Miranda did not speak but steered Andrea toward a corner, then another one and then into a private street. She walked a few steps and opened the door to her house.  
“I hope you don’t mind making the drinks yourself?” Miranda joked and Andrea followed mesmerized by the house. It was simple yet beautiful. Soft blue colors and seashells adorned the parlor table.   
“your house is beautiful,” she said  
“is it all you imagined? A house by the beach?” Miranda probed but Andrea was too taken to see the sarcasm in her bosses voice. Probably for the better Miranda thought and walked toward the liquor cabinet.  
“wine or “  
“whiskey?” Andrea questioned.  
“Whiskey it is then,” Miranda seconded and poured two whiskey neats.  
“Voila.”  
“merci Madame,” Andrea said and carefully sat down in a large white very expensive couch.  
She heard the heels of her boss walk to the kitchen, they were gone for a while only to suddenly be started by soft padding next to her and the setting down of a tray, with crackers, apples and a decanter of whiskey.  
“I didn’t know you were so domestic,” Andrea joked.   
“my ex husband would not have thought so,” she said and as soon as she said it se regretted it, now she’d have to explain about her divorce.  
To her surprise Andrea didn’t question instead she said, “these apples are delicious.”  
Miranda sat next to her, rather than across from her and she could feel Andrea shift to face her.  
“Tell me about you Miranda, the real you, not the harsh editor that I see  
everyday.”  
Miranda took a sip of her drink, then another one. “That is the real me,” she said, “that’s why I have three divorces and why I always end up alone.”  
“That’s a lie,” Andrea countered  
“how would you know?” Miranda asked.  
The young journalist threw her drink back and finished it in one gulp.  
“I see inside you a very beautiful soul, not that you’re not beautiful outside, you’re gorgeous, I mean well,” there she was flustered again.  
“I think you were right, I think it’s time for you to leave,” the editor shoots back.  
“Right,” Andrea said without a counter argument, “thank you for the drink.”  
Miranda took a deep breath she wanted to warn her that no one should find out about this lapse of judgment but the brunette had already walked out.

“Good morning Miranda, coffee is on the table and the Rhianna interview is done, we are just waiting for the photo shoot date, the Hermes story is down in layout and I have also sent a copy to Nigel.”  
Miranda nodded, “I need one more thing.”  
“yes?”  
“I’m sorry,” she whispered in her usual velvet voice.  
Andrea turned around to see who she was speaking to.   
“you don’t apologize,” she whispered as if someone would hear.  
“To people who don’t matter,” the short answer spoke volumes.  
Andrea nodded, “I’m not sure what you’re apologizing for?”  
“Last night, I should not have kicked you out. I’m not used to sharing, no that’s a lie. I’m not used to people caring.”  
“Well I care,” Andrea whispered vulnerably.   
“Would you like to join me for dinner tonight? The beach house again? I’m thinking of moving there permanently and leaving the townhouse,” Miranda shared.  
“Of course, are you sure?” Andrea asked not wanting to have to leave after a drink again.  
“Only if you want to,” Miranda clarifie, “I don’t want you to go as a Runway employee, I want you there as … a friend.”  
Andrea took a deep breath, “sure.”

 

She sat at her desk, not typing anything because she didn’t have anything to type. Her immediate boss, Marc had not given her any new tasks and all she had was thoughts of her conversations with the blue eyes mystery woman.  
“Hello there,” came a voice.  
“Hi,” she said casting her eyes at Rob the head of Human Resources, butterflies hit her stomach and she forgot about Miranda’s dilemma.   
“You seem bored?” he asked.   
“My day is almost done,” she answered.  
“would you like to accompany me for dinner?”  
“I can’t I have dinner with….” She paused, “ friend”

“How about tomorrow? It’ s Saturday breakfast?” he smiled. Dimples formed around his flawless face and she smiled “sure”

Great I’ll let you work now busy lady.  
“I wish you wouldn’t,” she countered laughing.  
“Alas I must, I’m sure the department will burn down if you don’t attend the boss.”  
She nodded.  
She didn’t have to get anything ready for the day, in fact she didn’t have to do anything and as she blinked at her screen an email saying she could have the rest of the day off caught her of guard. Part of her wanted to ask if everything was okay and part of her knew it would make it stranger. They weren’t really friends, no matter what they both said. 

 

When she arrived later that night Andrea stared at the older editor, She was dressed in dark jeans, she didn’t even know the woman owned jeans. She had on a white collared blouse and an oversized Ralph Lauren knit on top. She was barefoot, barefoot!   
“Are you okay?”  
“oh yes, yes I just was, you jeans, un,” she shook her head, oh dear she probably looked like a creep. “I didn’t know what type of flower you liked.”  
Andrea offered two bouquets in crystal vases, her mother had told her to always bring something to a friend’s house for dinner.   
“Bold choices,” Miranda mused, “red roses for love and white tulips for jealousy.”  
“can I come in?”  
“sure unless you want me to bring your food out here?” Andrea said and Andrea again failed to see the sarcasm. She was thinking of her own old jeans and striped shirt.

“I like your outfit,” Miranda yelled from the kitchen, as if sensing her thoughts.  
How did she always know what to say? How could she read her like that. And why did it matter if Miranda approved of her.  
“Are you jealous of me?” Miranda said suddenly and handed her a glass of wine.  
“Me? No?” Andrea said shaking her head. God did Miranda know what friendship was?  
“Are you sure?”  
Andrea gulped, this was not starting out how she hoped, “I am.”  
“Good, now let’s go eat. I made risotto I hope you like it?”  
“You can cook?” Andrea asked.  
“Surprising I know” Miranda smiled and her face glowed, her blue eyes became warm waves and Andrea felt at ease. The foyer had low lights that followed them to the kitchen and the long oak dining room. The house felt light and even though the night had fallen the white from the walls gave a summer glow.  
“I wasn’t always what I am now,” Miranda husked sitting down.  
“you weren’t ? tell me about young you,” Andrea asked leaning into the table riddled with curiosity and genuine care.  
“Well,” Miranda started, taking a sip of her wine “You remind me a lot of myself actually.”  
The night went on without a hitch, that is if you consider the kiss at the end of the night normal.  
Andrea swore she never knew who kissed who, it was as if they found themselves simply together, but she did know it had been Miranda who pulled her upstairs and trailed kisses down her collar bone.  
A myriad of thought transverse in her mind. This was her boss. This could cost her, her job. She had breakfast with that guy, Rob. She didn’t date woman. She wasn’t dating her. Not yet. No matter, she didn’t have sex with women. Older woman.  
“Are you okay?” Miranda asked breathless as she gently laid Andrea on the master bed. The soft sheets caresses her skin and she closed her eyes.  
“Maybe we should stop?” Miranda said sensing something was troubling the girl beneath her.  
Andrea shook her head. “No I just… it wasn’t until right now, until tonight that it clicked, why you fluster me. Why I care. Why you infuriate me so. I think… I know I am in love with you.”  
Miranda widened her eyes but Andrea didn’t give her time to question, she simply pulled the older woman in for a kiss and felt the vibrations in her lips.

Miranda wanted to decipher why. Why she felt this way. She wanted to know why this younger girl meant so much to her. When had she matted so much? How had this happened? She wanted to pull away and talk it out, but she couldn’t, she could not make the woman kissing her stop. Her lips trailed down her collar bone, down her chest bone, onto her abdomen and hips. She could not pry herself from the enchanting woman worshiping her as an orgasm rippled through her. She hadn’t felt this in.. .well she had never felt this. Her ex-husbands .. well her first one had been so young, they had been so foolish and she didn’t not by any means love him. The other two were simply with her for money. But this, here, her, she loved her.  
“I love you,” she said breathless as they were falling asleep.  
Andrea smiled “good because you already know I love you.”

 

Sunlight broke and it was all so complicated. She opened her eyes and realized that there was someone else intruding in her bed. Andrea was sound asleep, naked on her bed, butterflies somersaulted in her stomach. The younger’s woman hair splayed out on the pillow. What was she thinking? She was half her age. She was so beautiful and young. What would someone like her do with someone like me? She looked at her reflection in the mirror. She looked good for her age still she had to go put some make up on.  
“Now who’s thinking hard?”  
The voice started her, too late for make up.  
“I know what you’re thinking,” the younger woman taunted.  
“you don’t” Miranda shook her head and took a deep breath.  
“I can read your mind too,” Andrea continued.  
“mm,”Miranda turned around.  
“I think you’re beautiful, you are so hot don’t you see that?” Andrea remarked lovingly.   
Questioning blue eyes stared back at her.   
“You… what can you see in me? ”Miranda asked, the answer terrified her. This is why she didn’t hold relationships.  
“You meant besides the amazing night we just had?”  
Miranda chuckled and relaxed a bit.  
“I told you the other night, a beautiful soul, a beautiful face, a successful woman, a friend… a lover?” she said tentatively. The declaration hid a question and ball was now in Miranda’s court.  
Miranda nodded, “ a lover? are you sure you want this?”  
Andrea nodded.  
“If people find out, the press will ask. You wont be able to keep your job, not in that department, people left and right will ask and criticize and judge you.”  
“Because they will think I am with you because of the money?”  
Miranda looked away, “and because you’re half my age.”  
“damn them. I want you and if you means all this, good. I don’t even like my job.”  
Again Miranda laughed, she could not remember a time when she had laughed so much.  
The phone rang, flashing the name Rob across the screen. Andrea remembered, it was Saturday. A pang of dread struck her.  
The Ice Queen looked at her new lover, questions in her eyes.  
Andrea took a risk, pressed the button and handed the phone to Miranda, “answer it,” she mouthed.  
“Hello?”   
“Miranda?”  
“Rob, how may I help you?”  
“I was, I think I have the wrong phone”  
“No, this is Andrea’s phone.”  
“Oh, um I was trying to talk to her,” he stuttered.   
“I can’t tell her she’s sleeping now, I would not want to wake her. Anything specific?”  
“Um. no I we had brunch,” he continued a noticeable confusion in his voice.  
“You did? I don’t think she’ll be able to make it. But I will tell her, good day.”  
She hung up and Andrea could not hold her laughter.  
“Don’t ever make me do that again,” Miranda said annoyed and completely serious.   
“I’m sorry,” Andrea cast her eyes downward.   
“Don’t test me. I don’t’ play nice. I don’t like to share,” Miranda clarified a tone of authority and possessiveness present.   
“Miranda, I’m sorry,” Andrea repeated touching the older woman’s hand.  
“Now, are you still sure? You could have young handsome Rob?” her eyes were like daggers.  
“I could. But I have you why would I want him? And When people find out about us, I won’t have time for him,” Andrea answered.  
She emphasized the word WHEN to say that it would happen.  
“Well, I imagine it won’t be long with him knowing.”  
“Good, then I can stay all day and make love to you.”  
Miranda laughed again and let herself be embraced by the lover on her bed.

After Andrea left, mouthing something about, “having to go home, feed her cat and she had work the next day. They had spent all Saturday and Sunday in Miranda home, cooking, watching television and talking, mostly talking.   
It had all seemed so normal, but now in her house all alone again, she felt the doubts overshadow her. She wasn’t 20 anymore, she had a family to look after, she was a successful woman, would she risk it all for a young 20 something who swore love in a passionate night. She wasn’t even sure if Andrea wanted to live with her, at her age it was probably just a fling.  
She tried futile to dry the tears, that were falling as she went to bed.

“Hello,” the phone had rang at around 1am, she was very annoyed who called at this hour?  
“You do like cats right? Because I could not part with Whiskey here, I mean I’m totally getting ahead of myself, not that you’d want me to move in, but I do hope so. Also I’d like you to meet my roommate, she’s my best friend.”  
“Andrea? It’s past midnight,” she said somberly trying to not let all this crazy girl was saying excite her.

“I know, I just cant’ sleep. I know it was just a weekend but I feel like we’ve had a lifetime. I wish we’d had a lifetime. You aren’t regretting all this are you?” Andrea questioned.  
There was a long pause from Miranda, this was her chance.  
“Oh my Gosh, you are. You are totally regretting this right? I totally should have known. I ..” the phone clicked.  
Miranda stared at the blinking light. She dialed back. She called five times, each time it went to voice mail. She looked at the clock, goddamn it!  
She dialed Roy “Miranda?”  
“I need you here at 4:30 this morning”  
“Ye…”   
As usual she hung up before he had a chance to answer.  
This better be worth it.  
She got up and got dressed, her best Chanel suit, black it was slimming. Red sapphire necklace and black Valentino heels.  
Roy didn’t ask questions, he never did. He dropped his employer at a random looking apartment complex, he saw her fumble with the intercom. A car rode out, and she stepped in instead. 

A loud nock on the door, startled Andrea. She hadn’t slept since the phone call and now she lay in bed with coffee and tears. Her roommate was out, so she begrudgingly got out of bed and answered the door.

“Miranda?”  
“Darling, … I’m sorry,” Miranda was record breaking with the apologies lately.  
“Don’t apologize it doesn’t become you. It’s not yet time for work so I’m not sure what you want?”  
“I want you…” pause “to go with me to the office today. I want you to walk in with me. I want you to come home with me after the day. I want you to fly to Colorado and we can tell my girls.”  
“You don’t have to be nice. It’s not you. I won’t be hurt, I mean I will but I will get over it. If I was just a good fuck I can see it. Though I would have appreciated honesty.”  
“Would you have done it? Would you have slept with me?”  
Andrea shrugged, “doesn’t matter. You’ll have my resignation letter by noon. I’ll wait until we promote or hire someone new.”  
“If that’s what you want I understand. However, that’s not what I want and vanity does not suit you my dear, so if you do love me like you said last night. If it was true, if you want to face it all with me take my hand. Let’s go get some real coffee.”  
Andrea didn’t answer, she stared at the vision in front of her. At Miranda asking her to take her hand. The events of the last 36 hours reeled in her mind.  
“I was having doubts, not of my love for you, not about wanting you. I was having doubts about us, about this. You’re so young and beautiful, sooner or later you’ll realize I’m more than double your age, you’ll realize I’m not what you want. At 20 everything was so easy,” Miranda confessed.  
Andrea turned sharply brown orbs meeting glossy blue ones.  
“I love you. I will not change my mind. I’m not 20 and I don’t care about your age, or your money or anything. I’ll sign whatever you want me to sign, I want you just you, I want you to marry me. I know how crazy this all sounds but…”  
“Yes”  
“Yes?”  
“I’ll marry you,” this was out of character for her. Miranda never rushed into things, she was calm and attentive to detail, she was a perfectionist, she always weighted the outcomes, she hated vulnerable positions, and did not accept marriage after a one night stand. She went ahead with it anyway.  
Andrea smiled, pools of deep chocolate sparkling, “Okay wait, this is not a real proposal, it’s supposed to be fancy and I’m supposed to have a ring, and champagne.”  
Miranda neared closing the gap. She kissed the younger woman “shhh”  
“Let’s go home,” Andrea said, “I mean your house.”  
“you can call it home, I hope you call it home.”  
Andrea smiled again, “now about that coffee? I haven’t slept all night”  
“Get dressed let’s go,” Miranda tugged.

The phone flashed, Miranda picked it up, again. “Rob,” the text said.  
She didn’t want to but she read.  
“Hey so I’m confused about Friday night. I called and the boss answered, why does she have your phone?”  
Miranda pursed her lip, she couldn’t stop herself.  
“Why do you think?” she answered.  
“I don’t know you tell me? She said you were sleeping? Were you guys still at the office?”  
“I never sleep at the office,” Miranda answered for her lover.  
“are you and her?”  
“what?”  
“it’s crazy, are you fucking her? I mean you’re talented you don’t have to!”  
There it was, what people would always think.

“Are you in the habit of answering all your employees texts?”  
Andrea startled her as she snaked her arms around the older woman.  
“No,” Miranda said putting the phone down.  
“Is it him?”  
Miranda nodded.  
“I swear I haven’t talked to him.”  
“I know, here,” she handed the phone back to it’s owner and then she walked to the window.  
“what do you want me to tell him?”  
“It’s up to you”  
“I want to tell him that I am talented and that’s why I fell in love with you. I want to tell him you have accepted to share her life with me. I want to tell him to fuck off and good luck trying to find someone like you.”  
Miranda still didn’t turn back all she said was “ do it … then.”  
“It’s not true you know that right? because I can’t live with you if you’re always going to doubt me.”  
She turned around and smiled “I won’t I promise, it’s going to take time to realize you care, to get used to it. I believe in you, in us.”

“Now I have a better idea than going into the office,” Andrea said a mischievous smile on her face.  
Miranda hated surprises but she went along, she let Andrea drag her out to the city, because she’d let Andrea do anything.  
“A chapel? Really we’re going to pray?” Miranda asked with disdain as they parked.  
“Nope, oh good she’s here with her boyfriend. They will be our witnesses. I want to marry you. I also told her to buy a ring.”  
“Wait, does she even know me?”  
“I hear about you all the time, Andrea talks non stop about you. It’s quite unsettling all this time I knew she was in love, but she was dumb.”  
Miranda chuckled and got out of the car hesitantly she took Andrea’s hand and whispered, “Okay, let’s do this.”

 

When Miranda finally made it back to the office. Nigel knew something was off.  
“what is going on?” he came into Miranda office and closed the door. The valet said you walked in with Andrea, from editorial, un wha… why do you have a wedding ring on your finger?”  
Slowly Miranda turned to her Art Department head. “You never mind your own business do you?”  
“I um,”  
“Let’s say that we may have to call Human Resources about relationships between departments.”  
He wasn’t’ in utter shock, they always had a strange relationship, “Do you love her?” he asked, yet he knew what the answer would be. There was no way in Prada hell that Miranda would marry someone over a weekend and put so much out there in limbo if she did not love someone.   
“How perceptive of you, Yes I do love Andrea Marie Sachs.”


	2. VIEW POINTS

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miranda and Andrea tell the moment in their view point ~

MIRANDA ~

It was not an easy process that came after that morning. I don’t know where we even got the strength that day to make one crazy decision after the other. I don’t know how I let her lead me into a dingy chapel and have a pastor marry us. I don’t know how she had the nerve to present the board with her resignation within 24 hours or how she coped with all the human resource calls for weeks. I doubted that I had done the right thing, everyday, every second, when we went to the court house a week later, and when I had to face my two twins and tell them that Andrea was going to be their second mother. To our grand luck the twins accepted Andrea, they liked her witty attitude, her affinity for junk food and her noblese.

I don’t know where the strength came from… well that’s a lie. I do know where it came from. It was called love. I believed her, every word that fell from her pretty lips, I was head over heels for her. I braced myself for pain, for the moment when it would end, when she’d realize she could have more, she could have better, she could have younger… but I hoped that moment would never come. I lived on hope.

She was stronger than I ever though, she took criticisms with her head up, she smiled at the paparazzi that followed and threw out my name, mixed with gold digger, meal ticket and cougar. She’d shrug and say, “She tells me the same thing everyday but I just can’t stop loving her.” Then she’d block the cameras with a handbag or a magazine, she perfected the pose like she’d been doing it forever. And when we went out together, she’d hide behind me and hold my hand, it always reminded me of Madonna in the 1997 remake of Evita, when she’d coil in the arms of Peron.  
She endured the press for months, she never complained about it, when I’d ask if she was tired of it she would nod, “I fucking hate it but you’re worth everything!” she would say crawling over the couch and stealing a chaste kiss.

She always insisted on cooking dinner rather than going out, she never let me buy her anything, though I still did and she jumped straight into another job rather than wait around the house.  
“You don’t have to prove anything, I have enough money for both of us, for all four of us,” I said referring to my daughters.  
“I have to prove everything she would answer being deadly serious. She straightened up from the sofa, took one long sip of her drink and blurted. “I have to prove I am just as capable of success as you, I have to prove I’m worthy of you, that if you were completely poor I’d be worthy of having you still. I know you know, you know I know but I don’t ever want there to be a doubt for anyone else.”

I smiled because it was all I could do. Part of me knew she’d get tired of proving things to people and I wanted her to stop, but part of me found it endearing that she wanted to try for me.   
The months flew by, the girls were enraptured by her, this fascinating creature, half their mother and half a friend. She was crazy about them too, she’d take them out to play, dance around in the living room to crazy songs of the moment, she’d pretend to keep secrets from me and help them plan birthday surprises. They loved her more than I have ever seen them love anyone of my partners.   
“Mom, you’re going to marry her right? We don’t want Andrea to ever leave”.  
“We’re already married darling” I would remind them.  
“Oh that’s right” one of the twins would answer “but we have to do a big wedding.”  
We didn’t have a big wedding but I convinced her to do an elegant anniversary evening. Close friends and relatives and the press of course found their way to a few pictures. But by the year mark we were getting out of the press rotation and it was by far a private event.  
“I loved you since the day I saw you,” she murmured.  
“that’s a lie,” I corrected her.  
“I just didn’t know it, until that night.”

 

 

ANDREA ~

I didn’t know where we found the strength, I was always afraid she’d leave me, it seemed like a fairytale. The powerful, beautiful, kind, amazing, talented, rich, famous lady finding someone like me unforgettable. I’d think about it as we went to sleep, as I ran my hands in her mussed hair and she’d tell me to behave because she had work in the morning. I’d shrugs and say, “I can’t keep my hands of yoU.”

“You will you know, when I get old and wrinkly,” she’d say.  
“Never, you’re beautiful don’t you see it? you’re the hottest, most perfect creature I’ve ever been with and I love you.”   
She would chuckle and fall asleep in my arms, I was enraptured by her. I didn’t know where she found the strength to keep a straight face, and be the boss she had to be at work, actually I did that’s why I fell in love with her. She set everyone straight, refused to answer questions about our relationship but put up a photo of all four of us on vacation, right next to the one we took in the year reception she forced me to have. She looked like a goddess, quiet beige Balenciaga, floor length gown, her hair was coiffed perfectly and for the pictures she held roses, white roses.   
The press was vicious throwing out every insult they could think, flanking her outside of her work, and hunting me down. It was scary this world I had moved into always being watched by someone, but I’d never admit that to her. She was worth ever scuffed heel I got trying to outrun the photographers, and I knew in time they’d forget and we would go on being happy. 

My biggest fear was that she’d realize she could do better, find anyone else, someone prettier, richer, smarter, who could give her the world but then she said I gave her the world. One day she confessed she had the same fear, over too many glasses of organic vodka and louder laughs than we should have had after midnight. She stole a kiss and made me promise to never leaver her.  
“Never leave me,” she demanded.  
“why would you even say that?”  
“I’m ever so afraid, I’ve never been afraid perhaps I’ve never been in love not like I am with you. I’m afraid you’ll wake up one day not too far from now and realize that you can find someone better. That you could have someone younger, prettier, kinder anyone you want and you’ll leave me. I would let you because all I want is your happiness but it would break my heart.”  
How she got all that out without a slur surprised me but the large crystal tears in her eyes surprised me more.  
“I would never leave you, we’re married now. I want to spend all my life with you every breathing second. I want it all with you, home, family life. I want to take care of our girls and if you want another baby I want to have the life we dreamed of with you, as long as you’ll let me.”  
She cupped my cheek “I’ll always let you”  
She was crying freely now and her expensive mascara ran down her cheeks.  
“Do you really?” she suddenly said.  
I broke apart, “Do I really what?”  
A soft smile broke her tears, “Do you really want a baby?”  
I nodded, “only if you want.”  
“I can’t have children anymore, but my biggest regret was not having more kids.”  
I stood silent  
“Would you?”  
I knew what she was going to ask so hesitantly.  
“Yes, before you say anything yes.”  
“Well, it’s settled then, we’ll start the process in the morning.”  
“Miranda, I don’t want you to think that the girls are not enough, they are, they always will be, they are part of you and us and ..”  
She stopped my blabbing with a kiss, “I know. I want a child too. I want something that belongs to you, to us and the girls will love it. I know they will. I love you more than I could ever have imagined.”  
I cooed into her embrace


	3. YOUR LAST NAME

They said they’d talk it over, but they didn’t. It was just like everything else they did, they knew it was right, it felt right, it was the best thing they had ever done.  
“I made an appointment with the OBGYN …” Miranda saya as her wife walked into her office the next day, she looked up and smiled as she closed the door.  
“Is that why you made me come in and dodge all the looks from your employees?” Andrea says trying to sound annoyed.  
“You’ve never cared about them, why start now?” the Dragon Lady said getting up and walking toward her young lover, her hands slid around her white dress and Andrea settled into her embrace.  
“They look at me like the usurper, you used to yell at in the hall!”  
“I never yelled at you in the hall,” Miranda sais coyly to which Andrea raised an eyebrow   
“Anyway now I come in bearing your last name how do you think they look at me?”  
“Like my wife, my very hot, wife who’s going to have lunch with me?”  
“Is that what you want?”  
“Yes, and also to tell you we are having a charity ball at the French embassy, which I expect you to attend to.”  
The brunette groans “tell me over lunch, and a martini.”  
“You might want to drink tea the doctors appointment is after lunch.”  
Andrea can’t help but smile at her, “what happened to talking about it?”  
“We’ll have 9 months to talk about it.”  
“No, we’ll be talking about baby names then.”  
“I don’t think so..” Miranda began to say when there was knock at the door and it opened barely giving her time to further the distance but she was still holding the younger Priestly.  
“Oh Miranda I’m sorry,” her assistant spurs.  
“Did you forget how to knock?”  
“I knocked sorry …”  
“Did I answer?”  
“no um meeting,”  
“Didn’t I cancel all my afternoon? are you deaf?”  
“No I just, I’ll fix it sorry,” she said and scurried off.  
“be nice,” Andreas says remembering her days as an assistant.  
“But it’s funner not to be,” the older woman kisses her slightly grabbing her purse “let’s go lunch awaits.”

Andrea was terrified, terrified of how the process would go, terrified that she would not be able to give her a child, terrified that Miranda would leave her, terrified of everything that could go wrong.  
“I’ll never leave you, we’ve talked about this,” Miranda whispers in the doctors office as a pregnant woman rubs her belly and two young couples hold hands. They turn and look at the two woman, like they are strange not sure what to make of the young woman in a white business dress whose head rests on the older socialite by her side. They want to detect a trait of familiarity, older sister? But then Miranda wraps her arms around Andrea and they try to look away.  
“Don’t think of what can go wrong, think of all we’ve got right,” she whispers again.  
“How did you know?”  
“I know,” Miranda answers.  
“Mrs. Priestly?”  
Miranda stands, “ready?”  
Andrea nodded and took a deep breath.  
After the visit the ex-assistant was calmer, the doctor had run some basic tests, given them options, facts and timeliness and told them to take a week to process it all before deciding on the best route.  
They decided to walk home rather than have the car pick them up.  
“So,” the silver haired icon asks, Andrea could tell she was on edge she had barely said anything since they left the doctor.  
“I don’t want to wait,” Andrea says  
Miranda smiles, “we must.”  
“Why I have known forever I want a child with you”  
“Let’s think it over,” she insists.  
“are you having doubts now?” Andrea asks.  
“No, no, never,” she sais and stops to kiss the journalist gently.  
A snap goes off somewhere and they know there will be a picture of them on some magazine that week.  
“It never stops does it?” she asks laughing.  
“No it would seem it doesn’t,” she says looking up at the sky.  
“Let’s go get the girls tomorrow? Take them from school early and go somewhere for the weekend?”  
Miranda eyes her young wife, “How about for the week? We’ll decide everything as a family.”


	4. FAMILY

It was cliché finding the perfect ending to a story, the happy ending, the big screen fairytale ending that everyone talks about.  
“it’s crazy is it not?” Andrea asked herself more than anyone else but none the less Miranda answered, she always answered.  
“Finding what we thought we’d never have? Finding it in the most unexpected person in the most unexpected way?”  
The brunette nodded.  
They stood in the outside balcony of the beach house, the breathtaking sunset falling over our shadows, making the white wall shine like they were made of gold.  
She had so many thoughts racing in her mind, there was good ones and bad ones, regrets, people she missed.  
Miranda’s hand wandered over to her lover’s, pushing aside the glass of water that stood almost empty to her glass of wine.  
She didn’t say a thing, she simply held Andrea’s hand and the warmth of her fingers sipped into the core of her fears drawing a smile. The younger woman’s left hand rested on her ever growing belly, protector of the life inside.  
She stood silent because there was so many contradictions in this life she had found. There was so much Andrea had wanted all bundled up in the fashion editor, in her blue eyes and silver hair. The position and money she always said she would get, Miranda gave her without ever questioning. With her however it didn’t matter Andrea knew she would follow her into a cave in the mountains, the journalist only saw her when others saw a symbol an icon, she saw the soft voice that woke me up in the morning, and the broken tears that fell when she felt hurt, she saw the vulnerability in her face and the fear in her trembling hands. She loved her beyond what she ever thought love was. She made Andrea happy and yet she had to leave her past behind for her. Through -out the relationship with her, the young Midwesterner had not told her brother, he didn’t know she was married or that she lived with her ex-boss. He would be scandalized, he would reproach her so many things, he would hate her but beyond all he would be broken hearted. She asked, oh she asked about Andrea’s family and she was always met with half - truths. Andrea said her parents had died when she was young, that her grandmother raised them. She told her that they  
lived far, she told her they never came and then finally she told her he would not understand. Her face fell and she sat down.  
“It’s not about you, it’s about him,” Andrea said and bent down to kiss the older woman.  
“He will win someday, eventually you’ll leave,” Miranda said raising an eyebrow.  
Andrea shook her head, “No I love you and nothing is more powerful than love.”

Miranda believed, she believed again because she always believed Andrea. But never did her words resonate more than they did now, Andrea wanted to share with her family that she was going to have a child, the relationship had gotten more and more strained over the two years that she had passed with Miranda they suspected she was trying to avoid them, and they questioned why she never brought anyone home.  
“Call him,” she said suddenly interrupting the pregnant woman’s thoughts and she turned to realize she had been staring at her for a while. Her perfect blue eyes hinted turquoise in the sunlight, her milky white skin was a stark contrast to the blood red of her lipstick shade. She had on a Hermes silk scarf her wife had gifted her the day before, it was maroon with slivers of sparkle and it complemented her eyes. She was perfect.  
“You’re perfect,” Andrea blurted out, because she had too, Miranda smiled and blushed.  
She always blushed as if someone so famous and so beautiful was unused to hearing flattery, but she was. She was unaccustomed to hearing it from someone who loved her.  
“call them” she repeated because she was also relentless.  
“I can’t, what will I say?”

Miranda shrugs.  
“crazy isn’t it?” the young brunette asks.  
“how we can’t have it all?” the editor says again and pinpoints exactly what her lover is thinking.  
She nod again getting up and pulling Miranda up with her. She plays with their wedding band and Andrea stares out the view of the balcony.  
“have you ever doubted me?” she asks  
Miranda nods, “of course, I doubted someone so young and beautiful could really love me.”  
“but I always told you.”  
“so did my last husbands and all they wanted was my name and my money.”  
“and why is this different?”  
“it isn’t” Miranda says and stops playing with the ring “I just can’t stop loving you, I … you stole my heart and somehow I know it will be safe with you.”  
Andrea kisses her, softly on the side of her cheek. “I adore you and this beautiful baby that we’ll call ours.”  
“Hope.”  
“I still can’t believe I let you choose the name” Andrea jokes.  
“Give your family a chance.”  
“easy for you to say the girls only want to see you happy.”  
The editor nods  
“maybe, maybe they will too. Call them before Paris” she says and Andrea remembers the trip they are taking to Paris before hope is born.  
They decided they wanted to see the French capital one more time and four months before the birth seemed just appropriate enough.  
“I will, I’ll call tomorrow. I’ll tell them about you, about how you’ve changed my life and how together we’re going to raise three wonderful daughters and if they don’t agree then I’ll know.”  
she nods, ‘let’s go eat something?”  
“you mean outside?”  
She nods again, “yes let’s go eat to that new restaurant downtown?”  
“Okay,” Andrea responds wanting to please her after an unsavory conversation.  
“Let’s go.”

There was a small wait at the restaurant and Andrea hated using star power so they waited.  
“what do you want to eat?” Miranda asks killing time.  
“you” Andrea whispers as Miranda feels her hug her from behind and then walks around to my left side to put her hands on her stomach.  
Miranda coughs and laugh at the same time “dirty much?”  
“must be the hormones,” Andrea jokes.  
“Andrea! Hi!” a voice suddenly interrupts.  
Miranda straightens up.  
“It’s me Brenda!”  
“Oh hi,” Andrea plasters on a smile.  
She rarely meets people she knows, she rarely meets people at all actually running away from the press was bad enough and that her family did not find out because they rarely read gossip magazines or watch tv beyond documentaries.  
Everyone looks at each other, Brenda dives in for a hug ignoring whoever is holding Andrea and then she gives her a kiss on the cheek, “it’s been way too long” she says  
“It has” Andrea answers, “you haven’t met my wife Miranda have you?” Andrea sais putting her hand in the small of Miranda’s back as Miranda wraps an arm around her. She can feel her wife take a deep breath to steady herself and keep whatever anger she has in reign.  
“a pleasure Brenda,” Miranda nods without extending her hand.  
Brenda shifts, “I hear you were seeing someone but I didn’t know you were married,… congratulations,” the last word is forced.  
“Well it’s been almost two years, the press stopped talking about it now” Miranda jumps in before Andrea can answer.  
“Now how do you two know each other?” the editor continues to ask.  
“Andrea went to college with me.”  
“Oh is that so? she’s never mentioned you.”  
“I guess she keeps her important friends a secret? “ Brenda jokes  
“really? Well then I guess our Bridesmaid was not really her best friend then?”  
Brenda laughs, Andrea feels a buzz in my hand “our table is ready darling, let’s take a seat” she drags Miranda away.  
“would you like to join us?” Miranda says to Brenda  
This can’t be good.  
“I would love to, but I’m waiting for a few friends,” Brenda says graciously.  
“what a shame, maybe next time, you can come to our house by the beach we’ll have an outdoor lunch with the new baby.”  
It is then when Brenda looks down and sees Andrea is expecting  
“Oh congratulations again, I didn’t realize.”  
“nice to see you again,” Andrea ends.  
They take a seat, she’s about to ask what the hell Miranda was doing when,  
“sorry” Miranda blurts “I don’t know what took over me.”  
“Me and her never” Andrea clarifies.  
“I didn’t ask, I’m not the jealous type,” Miranda does the same.  
“really? because I could have sworn you pulled a full blown jealousy episode back there, maybe you just never had anyone to be jealous for?  
Miranda smiles, “perhaps.”

Andrea calls her brother the following day, Miranda is at work.  
“Hello sis,” he answers  
“Hi Dave,” she sais.  
“What’s wrong?” he asks.  
“nothing is wrong.”  
“Are you sure you sound agitated,”

Andrea can see his face, hisr eyebrows knit at the same place hers does and his thin lips curve like she never learned to do and he’s probably sitting in the big grey sofa that dots the living room.  
“I just want to tell you some good news.”  
“good news?” he questions again and this time she can see him beacon his wife over.  
“okay Andy, what’s new” he says trying to be playful and she takes a deep breath trying to remember what her playful voice sounds like.  
“I met someone,”  
“Oh who?”  
“I met someone two years ago, and we got married and I’m having a baby girl,” if rushes out like someone knocking the wind out of her.  
“you got married?” he exclaims, “when? why are you telling us now?? you have been keeping this a secret? why?”  
“Because I didn’t want to explain anything to you, …”  
“explain what?” he screams into the phone “who is he?”  
“She’s the love of my life and we’re making the perfect family”  
“She?” is all Andrea hears from the other end, and then radio silence.

“what are you doing with your life, why are you doing this to me? To mom and day?” he asks.  
“I’m not going to explain why I love her, and why I’m not going to leave her,” Andrea practically shouts above whatever he is trying to say.  
“You’re having a niece, and she convinced me that I should give you guys a chance to meet her, to be part of her life, my life.”  
“Is it money? Did she give you money? what did she give you?”

Amidst the moment Andrea wants to wonderful sex but that would not be the wisest thing to say, so I utter the truth, “love and happiness. I love her Dave , it never made sense until I met her.”  
“Who is it?” he asks.  
“Miranda, I married Miranda Priestly.”  
“your boss?”  
“I don’t work for her anymore.”  
“no, I’m sure you don’t. Not in her office anyway.”  
“Don’t” Andrea shouts into the phone and puts her hand up as if he were seeing her.  
“Look” she explains using the respite to finish the conversation “I’m leaving to Paris in two days, I’ll be back in two weeks. If you decide you want to be part of my life, without insulting my wife… then call me. If you don’t I’ll assume you don’t want to be, you can’t understand how it will break my heart but at least I’ll be at peace.”  
“Don’t go to Paris with her, are you going with her?”  
“Yes”  
“is that why? she needed a second price after her husband? and you needed a meal ticket?”  
“you can call me a cheap prostitute if it makes it better for you, but I hope one day you understand I love her, truly and with the purest of sentiments. Goodbye.”  
Andrea hangs up quickly before he can say anything else. 

 

“I’ve called you five time I was worried sick I made Roy drive faster than ever why haven’t you answered?” Miranda spits out in one breath, her flawless clothes seem a little out place like she ran from the gates to the room.  
“you seem out of shape” Andrea notes.  
“I just ran here, I ran out of the office I … what’s wrong?” Miranda knows something is off.  
“kiss me” Andrea asks, “kiss me make love to me, tell me you love me.”  
Miranda crawls on the bed, taking her heels off on the way, her pencil skirt bunches up and her silk blouse wrinkles just the tiny bit, she kissed Andrea no questions, sinks her nails into the soft of her skin, careful not to put pressure on the stomach. She undresses the younger woman, fast and slow at the same time, hands digging into her wet hair.  
Andrea kisses her back, tracing her lips with her tongue, tearing of her clothes without regards to brands, she doesn’t say a thing when Andrea straddle her between her hips and puts her lips on her breasts, she moans and pushes her knee gently on my core. The hormones rage and she moans, Miranda’s hands find a way to Andrea and her fingers work expertly. It’s fast and hard, Andrea ends heaving, kissing lazy circles on Miranda’s flat, naked abs, down to her hips, her thighs which she opens for her. There are never words needed between them, they lay in bed tired in afterglow.  
“you called him?” Miranda knows.  
Andrea nods into the crook of the older woman’s neck, “gave them an ultimatum. If they call back when I get back from Paris they accept, everything, you, us, no complains. If they don’t we’ll they took their choice.”  
She gets up, blue eyes soft like the ocean in the south, “are you sure?”  
“Of this? fuck yeah. I can’t wait for us to meet Hope and continue our family.”  
“I thought you were going to say, start a family?” Miranda states vulnerability painted on her face.  
“we already are a family, you and the girls. Why would I say that?” Andrea states.

“God you’re so fucking perfect? What did I do to deserve you?” Miranda declares and smiles, tracing one manicured nail over soft, flushed skin.  
“on another note, the girls come back tomorrow,” Andrea offers.  
“For what?” Miranda gets up alarmed.  
“because it’s the end of their year and I decided we’ll take them to Paris instead of them doing their summer camp, they loved the idea. are you mad?”  
“Mad? You took the girls out of their camp without telling me? “ she says Andrea keeps quiet, Miranda is not so intimidating half naked and bed hair disheveled but still.  
Andrea nods.  
The Ice Queen smiles, “I love it, I love that you can take decision for us, with them, that you seem to really ..”  
“believe they are my own?”  
There is the shadow of tears on Miranda’s eyes.  
“Make love to me again” Miranda murmurs and Andrea does not need to be told twice.


	5. Europe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few years and grand events happen in Europe ~
> 
> Will leave the story here for now. There is more written but I am not sure I want the rest to be published ... yet.

They didn’t plan it but then again they didn’t plan much of our lives, Hope was born in Paris in a hospital near the 2nd arrondisement. She had beautiful blue eyes, pale as the ocean on morning dew.   
“she’s beautiful” Miranda murmured as she kissed Andrea’s forehead.  
“Well I guess our vacation has to change” Andrea comments wearily  
“I believe so darling, we must stay longer” Miranda smirked and the girls shrieked.  
The two women took her to the hotel the next day and Andrea was up and ready to tour the beautiful city a few days after. They extended the stay and the hotel provided a nanny to help them for that week.   
“I guess she’s a true Parisien” Andrea says as they sit in some outdoor café cooing at the sleeping angel.  
“like her momma,” Miranda winks, “I know how much you love Paris and how much it means to you. I was thinking I have an offer to move to the subsidiary branch here in Paris, what do you think?”  
“I think you hate the subsidiary branch here, and I would not have a job,”  
Andrea shook her head. She could not imagine Miranda in French Runway, “I only hate the head of the branch here but I will be the head and our daughters would speak perfect French and you have the job of being my wife and a talented writer so you could work on that.”  
“I’ll think about it,” Andrea answers.  
“We could try it for a few years,” Miranda paused “it might help distance and patch the wounds with your family”  
“My brother called” Andrea tells her.  
“what ? why hadn’t you told me”   
She shrugs, “he called thinking we were back, I told her Hope was born here”   
Miranda took a deep breath for her and ordered another glass of Bordeaux for Andrea.  
“so”  
“He said she wanted to meet Hope.”  
“That’s good right?” Miranda said a beautiful smile gracing her lips.  
“Well yeah but he said he wanted to meet just Hope.”  
“you don’t have to do anything you want to.”  
“I know but grandma called me after and she said that my brother had told her everything and that she was disappointed I hadn’t told her, she would always have been on the side of whatever made me happy and that she wanted to come and visit us all, and she wanted to meet you and the girls and Hope and she wanted to be part of our lives.”  
“So have your grandmother come, it’s a start” Miranda smiles.  
Tears escaped Andrea’s eyes. Miranda stood silent.   
“You know if you ever want to leave, I wouldn’t fight the custody,” Miranda states out of nowhere.  
“I don’t fucking want to leave, why would you say that have I not fucking showed you how much I love you, you are my sun and moon but if you keep saying that I’m going to think you want me to leave? Gosh I’ve left everything for you, I don’t know why you still don’t trust me” Andrea yells getting up and not caring the patrons stared at her. She sat silently as some unfortunate photographer snapped a picture of their fight, Hope woke up and started crying. Andrea threw cash on the table and walked off. Miranda wrapped Hope in her arms as she tried to keep the tears inside and quiet her.

They didn’t talk that night and Miranda threw a newspaper in front of her as the tired brunette ate breakfast in the parlor the following morning.   
“what the hell?”  
“take the shades of, they don’t suit you. If you’re drunk then wear it.” Miranda heaves as she sits down next to her lover.  
“I’m sorry”  
“Read the paper”  
“I don’t read tabloids about us, never have” She says pushing it aside  
“Well let me recap it for you”  
“Paris not the city of love for Miranda Priestly and her wife. Could a third divorce loom in the wake of a third child?”  
“We know that’s not true” she says sipping coffee  
“How about what follows?”  
“Seems like the controversial couple can’t keep their problems quiet, Miranda’s young lover who used to be her employee comes from a deep religious background, rumor has it the old family calling is causing a rift between the two, what would her only sibling say? “   
“Stop” Andrea says grabbing the newspaper from her, “what do you care, you never cared!”  
“Is it true? Is it driving rift between us?” Miranda’s tone changed from annoyance to worry, “and how do they know this?”  
“you know paparazzi they find out everything, it’s not hard to find facts about my family is they wanted to.”  
“do you think your family will see it?  
“I don’t know”  
“what now”  
“nothing now, we continue on with our lives. Miranda I’m sorry for yesterday, I was frustrated, I’m tired, and I just could not control it. But it’s normal couples fight, doesn’t mean I’m going to leave. I’m never going to leave and I wish you would stop doubting that. I love you, I will want us to be a family until you don’t want to anymore. Do you want me to leave?”  
Her diamond blue eyes turn a shade darker, her face slowly softens and she shakes her head, “no”  
Andrea smiles back, “will you trust me?”  
“I do.” Miranda pauses, “remember at the restaurant at home when you told me I never had anyone to be jealous for?”  
The young woman nods.  
“you were right, I love you so much it makes me jealous. I want you to belong only to me.”  
Andrea rises out of my chair and sits on the editors lap, “I do belong only to you. Let me show you just how much”  
“the girls”  
“nanny took them out”  
“mmmhhh” is all she get from Miranda as I struggle to unzip her perfect white dress.  
“Make love to me” Miranda murmurs.  
She pull her from the chair and they barely make it to the couch.  
“let’s go home” Andrea whispers after they lay exhausted in bed.  
“Okay” she whispers back and leans her head on her wife’s chest.

It was nerve wreaking to go home, Andrea’s grandmother was coming to meet them all and stay with them for a week.   
Miranda was more excited than Andrea was perhaps because she had no family left, or because she wanted her lover to be happy.  
The day they picked her from the airport, only Andrea went and Miranda swung around with the car.   
“Oh darling where are these adorable girls I’ve heard about, I’m old every moment counts” she said to Miranda and they all laughed.   
As they came home, she hugged Miranda like she was family and the girls shyness fell away as she walked to them and gave them beautiful dolls dressed in German garb, “I’m grandma Lilly, will you girls show me the house?”  
They giggled and nodded and would not leave her side for the whole day.  
Miranda looked over to her wife, her eyes sparkled with tears that wanted to fall and she leaned in for a kiss on the cheek.  
“Mrs. Gestein I’m so glad you agreed to come meet us, I want Andrea to be happy and that includes her family too.  
“Ah my darling, call me Lilly and don’t thank me. It is I who should thank you for making my girl happy and making her have kids. We swore she’d never have children. She always said she didn’t want to get fat.”  
They all laughed, “I guess love changes that “ 

Hope changed their life in more ways than one. Andrea took a few months off from work and Miranda took the girls out of boarding school so they would all be together. Slowly life at home became a routine, they went through four nannys in those few months, the girls didn’t like some, Andrea didn’t like some, some didn’t like them. The last month they went without one and with the help of the maid the beach house flowed perfectly.  
“Do you really want to go back to work?” Miranda asked one night as the mother of her child rested her head on her shoulder.  
Andrea pulled away, “who do you ask?”  
“I’ve got something to tell you”  
“You sound mysterious I’m worried”  
The editor laughs, “I am being considered for an ambassadorship, “ she stops for good measure of for Andrea to let it sink in.  
No reply comes from the younger woman.  
“In Germany,” she finishes.  
“So it’s going to be time demanding, and you want me to stay home?”  
Miranda shakes her head, “no I don’t want you to stay home. I want to give you the option, don’t turn the tables An-dre-a.”  
The younger woman tenses up.   
“I’m not sure” she finally answers honestly. She could have said yes. She could have said she wanted to go back, but she wasn’t sure. She didn’t want to be the girl that married her only for money.  
“Okay,”  
“I like being home, with the girls with Hope. But I like going to work to, I like what I do and who’s going to take over your place?”  
"Well we’re not sure yet, but I’m sure Irv has a list of candidates."  
“You’d never stand it if they put Jaqueline?”  
She laughs, “I have a few candidates up my sleeve.”  
I stop waiting for her to give me a name, someone who will succeed her.

“I don’t have to accept it..” she continues.  
“But you want to?” Andrea asks getting up toward the kitchen.  
“I think it would be good for us..” Miranda states.  
“No. We’re good right now. We have more than we’ll ever need,” the young brunette sais.  
She doesn’t say a thing and follows me in, “Andrea”  
“You and I know, that’s true. However you once offered me to move Paris to make me happy, you were willing to play the friend for my family, I will …” she says pausing turning and looking at the older woman’s blue eyes  
“I will always support you.”  
Miranda smiles  
“I don’t want it to be something that breaks us apart, you are more important that a nomination, ever since that night, since that wonderful night you came for dinner you have been more important than anything,” Miranda grabs her wife’s hand, “Andrea we can think this over we don’t have to decide now.”  
“Okay let’s think it over, but I will always stand with you, I will be a politicians wife, I will be anything for you.” Andrea says having calmed down, burring her face in the crook of her lovers neck.

It turns out that the weeks dragged on and Andrea didn’t return to work, Miranda accepted the Ambassadorship and the trail called her away from home most of the time.   
“Are you sure you’re okay with all of this?” the new American ambassador to Germany asked as she caught her lover whimsically looking out the window of their Berlin hotel. She stopped next to her wife, leaned on the balcony and handed her a glass of wine  
Andrea turned nothing but sheer adoration in her eyes, “I’m sure.” she replied leaving the glass and leaning into her wife. The embrace became a kiss, the kiss grew into heated caresses and soft moans.   
“We’re in the balcony” Miranda whispered.  
“I know” Andrea laughed and pushed her gently into the balcony swing, she slid her own skirt down as Miranda pulled hers. They both said everything they needed to in those moments, they moved into cotton sheets.  
“you’re fucking beautiful,” Andrea declared as she stared at her naked wife underneath her, “ have I told you that. I liked you since I started working with you. You drew me in, I wanted to be called into your office.”  
Miranda chuckled, ‘you’re such a liar, you hated me”  
“you think so? No, I felt confused by you and so I always played the hate card.”  
“mmmm” she answers trailing her fingers down the younger’s woman body, “ but now we’re here, with a beautiful baby and two lovely daughters and so many years ahead,” Andrea adds.  
Miranda nods and closes her eyes, they drift off to sleep.


	6. Words Said

Germany was a hell basket though and the years that ensued the win of the post tested their relationship far beyond the three years that had defined their relationship. Not only was the media merciless with the couple, so were the demands of Miranda’s post.  
“I haven’t seen you in weeks,” she declares as she get home one weekend a few days before Christmas.   
“Must be because you never find the time to make it home” Andrea quips  
Miranda ignores the sarcasm, “where are the girls?”  
“The twins are finishing homework for their finals exams, they enrolled in jr. high today”  
“Oh shit, I missed it didn’t I?” Miranda declares and Andrea simply nods tuning around and sipping the glass of whiskey she had in her hand  
“And Hope is asleep, she asked for you again”  
Miranda doesn’t say a thing and pours herself a glass of whiskey too, “what are we doing for dinner”  
“I have to travel to Sao Paolo, for that week,” Andrea announces.  
“What the hell Andrea, it’s fucking Christmas!”  
“I have a new line, I have to do it now.”  
“And when where you planning to tell me this?” Miranda drawled  
“whenever you decided to come home.”  
“What is your problem today? “  
“My problem is our daughters ask for you constantly, I never see you, and if that wasn’t enough you go out and about prancing with whores!!!! “ she exclaims throwing letter sized photographs down on the table, “Fuck Miranda, I can’t even.”  
The older woman picks up the photographs sprawled in front of her.  
“Where did you get these?” she asks  
Andrea has silent tears falling down her cheeks, “does it matter?”  
Is it true?”  
Miranda nods, “It was a mistake.”  
“A mistake …. you sound just like everyone else. Was it payback for your past relationships?”  
The ambassador nods her head gulps her drink and takes off her heels which she realized where still a pain in her feet.  
“Tell me what did I do wrong?”  
“I’m sorry” she murmurs.  
“You’re sorry, you’re sorry, fuck. I wish you weren’t sorry. I wish you could tell me she meant something, that you loved her, that you were going to leave me for her because then at least it would be worth something. “  
“mom everything allright?” the twins lean their head and ask.  
“yes darling we were just discussing a few things,” Miranda answers.  
“did you hurt Andrea? “ They ask, “did you miss an important day for her too?”  
“No, your mom simply had a long day at work and we found out some bad news,” Andrea interrupts, come here darlings” she kisses both of their foreheads and sends them to sleep, “go to sleep we’ll go to the park and ice cream tomorrow after school okay?”  
They nod and race of without a mere look at their mother.  
“My daughters adore you.”  
“Your daughters…” Andrea repeats with a sly smirk, “yeah they are yours.” More tears slip down her face  
“I .. shoot I didn’t meant it like that.”  
“I’m tired I’m going to bed too, can you stay in the guest room? Or is that too much to ask?”  
“No not at all” Miranda whispers.  
The following morning the girls and Andrea are gone, Hope is with the nanny and Miranda finds herself in an empty house on a day off.  
Andrea is right, she didn’t prioritize but that wasn’t even what Andrea had reproached.  
Andrea and the girls came back late into the evening, they held shopping bags and Andrea sent them off with the nanny as soon as she stepped in the door.  
“I’m taking then with me to Sao paolo.”  
“I have to clear the trip with the SS, “  
“I asked Barry to do it already, everything is set”  
They both want to say so many things, but neither does.  
“ and Hope?”  
“She’s staying with my grandma, I’m sending the nanny with her.”  
“They’re mire too, you know!”   
“I know, go ahead tell them you won’t let them go with me,” Andrea challenges  
“You’re not playing fair”  
“How, because I spend time with them, I am busy too.”  
“yeah running my company, I made you,” Miranda screams and Andrea stops on her way up the stairs.  
“You can have it back, all of it, the board will have my resignation in the morning. When I come back from sao paolo I’ll bring the girls,” she says and takes of her ring dropping it in a corner table near by.


	7. Roses and Wildflowers

“Miranda!” Andrea didn’t tell me you were coming too!” Lilly exclaimed upon seeing her get out of the car.  
“I didn’t want to spend the holidays alone, I hope it’s not an imposition,” Miranda says almost whispering. She’s not used to asking permission.  
“Nonsense, this house is so big, too big for an old woman and Hope needs her mother to celebrate don’t you darling?” Hope nods and trails off after her caretaker.  
“The truth is Andrea took the girls,” Miranda confesses to Andrea’s grandmother.  
“Yes she told me, she was really excited about the trip. She said that it was a new fashion line the company was launching. Come let’s have some coffee you must be tired.”  
“A little.”  
“My Andrea tells me you work a lot, I’ve seen you on tv a few times.”  
“The news can be so ruthless”  
“Do you say it because of what they wrote about you and her? I ignore it my darling. At my age all that stuff doesn’t matter when people love each other.”  
“Yesterday I made her feel just what the media reported, that she married me only for money.”  
The old lady raised an eyebrow and she brewed coffee, “but surely you know better.”  
“I know, I just I fucked up,” she stopped, “I messed it all up. I don’t know if we can save it.”  
“You girls are so young, you have so much ahead of you guys.”  
“I cheated on her.”  
The old lady simply looks out the kitchen window, and the sets the cups and sugar for the coffee service.   
“Sit,” she offers  
“Why are you telling me this?”  
“I’m not sure, I have no one else to say it too. I love her, you know I love her. I … she’s the only person I’ve married for love. I want her to stay with me always.”  
“you know. my late husband was a great man. He provided for us, took me out of poverty. Well he was dirt poor too. We build whatever we have together. He was a great father, to my two children and the one he had with my maid.” she looks at Miranda.  
“I didn’t know.”  
“No one does.”  
“So…”  
“I forgave him, after due punishment of course,” she smiles, “I forgave him because we all make mistakes. It hurt, it hurt like hell. I had just given birth to Andrea’s mother. I left to my mothers home and didn’t talk to him for months. He sent a rose everyday. He would stand outside the door with it every weekend. He promised it would never happen again.”  
“She won’t believe me.”  
“She loves you, more than anything.”  
“I told her the twins were my daughters.”  
“Well they are,” Lily says sipping her coffee.  
“Yes but we’ve never made that distinction.”  
“Tell her exactly what you just told me. I can’t guarantee that she’ll forgive you. But I can guarantee she loves you and that’s a start.”  
Miranda smiles.  
“now for the holiday celebration!” Lilly announced and Hope laughs.

Andrea’s convoy stops outside her house and the girls climb down,  
“why aren’t you coming?” they ask again.  
“Yes why aren’t you” Miranda repeats and the girls turn around to hug their mother.  
“Go inside girls.”  
“But moooommm!”  
“Go” Andrea says and they nod and leave.  
“Where are you going?”  
“I’m flying out to see my grandmother”  
“Are you not going to come and see your daughter Hope.”  
“You brought her over?”  
“No I spent Christmas with your grandmother”  
“You did?”  
Miranda climbs into the suv and closes the door  
“What are you doing?” Andrea questions.  
“drive” she instructs the driver and he pulls away.  
“Give me a drive around the city, just listen to me and I won’t insist,”  
Andrea nods  
“I messed up, I know it. But that has ended. It ended a long time ago. I love you, always will. I don’t have an excuse of why I did what I did. You were always there for me, I knew what I was doing. I’m sorry. But if you give me this chance it will never happen again. Please, I don’t know how to ask you I miss you terribly. “  
The SUV loops around the house.  
“Stop” Andrea says softly.  
“I forgive you” she murmurs  
There is a glimmer of hope in Miranda’s eyes, Andrea pulls a folder from her handbag and hands it over to her.  
“But I can’t live with you. The divorce will wait until the term is over, for all appearances and purposes. The custody papers are there, you can fight me but I want to keep the girls all week, it will be more stable for them. The resignation letter is also there, I will stay on until you find a suitable candidate.”  
Miranda opens her mouth to say something.  
Andrea shakes her head softly with a smile and leans in to kiss her wife ever so softly, almost a caress, “there’s nothing you can say darling.”   
She pulls back the driver opens the door.  
Miranda gets out, “where are you staying”  
“The W downtown, I’m going to find a house this week and pick up the girls.”  
Miranda nods defeated, “goodnight”  
“Goodbye” Andrea responds.  
the door closes, tears stream down her face  
“It’s none of my business, the driver interrupts, “but she loves you more than I’ve seen her love anyone. You two are perfect for each other don’t let a mistake end a love story. She won’t be the same without you”  
“You’re right, it’s none of your business,” Andrea answers bluntly and pulls the window separation up.

When Andrea steps into the hotel suite, a huge flower arrangement sits on the table. It’s not roses, or carnations for love, it’s lavander and wildflowers …. she can’t help but smile  
“What do you want in out wedding?” Andrea asked Miranda as they planned the reception months after their actual wedding.  
“Roses, white roses I can’t stand red ones,” Miranda had said.  
“I don’t think Roses fit us,” she explains we are more like wildflowers, not thinking of consequences, guided by love and fresh air and lavender because it’s calming and it will balance out the wildflowers”   
The memory is almost tangible, and then it evaporates like smoke. She disregards the note and walks to her bed, in which she finds a white rose a simple white rose.  
The white Roses continue for two weeks until Andrea finds an apartment in the city, discrete and non attention calling, close to work so the media won’t have field day. She takes the girls without a single opposing word from Miranda. She will stay here until the term is over and then she’ll move back home to the states, to her grandmother and her home. The flowers continue and Andrea never mentions or send them back. 

“Thank you for coming with me to the gala,” Miranda whispers and she takes her wife’s hand out of the limo.  
“You have to stop” she whispers too as she smiles for the scattered cameras  
“Stop what?”  
“Sending roses, your years is almost over, once you stop being the ambassador the press won’t hound you anymore. You won’t need me. I don’t want the roses anymore.”   
Neither woman speaks for the next few minutes, “It doesn’t let the wound heal” Andrea finally exhales, Miranda bites her lip.  
“Come home with me tonight” she offers  
Andrea shakes her hand, “I can’t”  
The flowers stop the following day. Andrea finds that she misses them, it’s been months but it gives her peace.  
“Forgive her, nena” grandma Lilly interferes  
“I can’t Grandma” Andrea quips, “I gave up everything for her….:  
“And she gave up everything for you, she loves you Andrea. She loves you wildly.”  
“I can’t Grandma, she broke my heart, she left me alone”  
“You’re stubborn like your mother!”  
“Don’t compare me to mamma. I did nothing wrong.”  
“It’s wrong to her, she’s missing out on your life because of some stupid belief in moral righteousness, and you’re letting go the love of your life because you think people don’t have the right to mess up.”  
“Shes had more than enough chances to mess up, three husbands, then she swore I was different that she married me for love, and she goes off to screw the first whore in less than three years of marriage, I can’t”  
“You’ve always been guarded with love, but with her it was different I saw it in your eyes, in the way you look at her, I see it now in the tears you’re trying to hide. You’ll never stop loving her and the bitterness will consume you my sweet child Let it go”


	8. Before and After piece.

Perhaps the only win in all of this was that the press had not found out about the affair. It was mid presidential campaign back in the states and journalist were hungry for bait. Andrea had known this when she found out about the affair. At first she had thought that someone would publish the photos. They had been hand delivered by a young brown haired boy. Andrea had ran and asked the office secretary who had let him in but everyone shrugged. She though that it was someone in the company, but that didn’t make sense. Then she had thought it was someone at the ambassadorship office after all the young woman had been the public relations director. Her tenure had coincidently ended and she had gone home to another diplomatic post in Maine. She had gone home to her daughter and her parents who were major stock holders at the Ford Company. Andrea was baffled when the silence ensued, it had been weeks before she confronted Miranda. She had hoped that Miranda would come to her, that she would confess the affair or that she would behave like before, signaling that the affair was over.  
The term was now almost over. The campaign was nearing the end and what had started as a solid one sided battle was no an even playing field. Andrea missed being at Runway, she missed the activity of Fashion Week, of Paris and London and Milan. She missed knowing Miranda didn’t have to play part in a grand scheme that changed countries in an instant. She was counting the days for the term to over, once it was she could go home. Once the term was over she could file for divorce openly, she could leave Germany, she could let her breath out. Once the president whoever she or he was she would no longer fear that the photos would leak to the press. Although she didn’t think they would now. It was a mere week before the election and Germany wasn’t playing a big part of anything.  
She thought about calling Miranda, about making arrangement for the trip back home. She put it off, she didn’t want her resolve to weaken. Against her will she kept thinking about the words her grandmother had said. She was right. She loved Miranda and she would love her until the end of time, but she could not bring herself to forgive her.  
It turned out she had been wrong. On November 3rd the Washington Post ran the story. Government officials using government money on their mistresses.  
Andrea paused the screen, she didn’t read the story. She didn’t need to. She knew exactly the pictures that would appear, Miranda in the tan suit and YSL glasses getting out a hotel. She knew they would have the one where she’s kissing the thin blonde outside suite number 801. Andrea closes her eyes. She takes a deep breath, she doesn’t know what hurts more the betrayal or knowing that everyone knows.  
Miranda calls within five minutes. She calls over and over for almost 15 minutes. Andrea walks away from the phone. She doesn’t want to hear it. She doesn’t want to hear it from Miranda or her father or even her grandmother. Hours later there is a knock at the door. She hears it but does not get up. She wishes she was at home, she wishes she had the maid instead of room service.  
“Andy?” the voice is unfamiliar and Andrea wakes up startled. She thinks she knows, but she can’t place it. She hasn’t heard that voice in years …  
She peaks before opening, “Nigel?”  
“Six,” he smiles the long forgotten nickname brings back memories of another time. A time where perhaps she could have escaped this, she could have been a simple journalist married of to … that guy from accounting. She had forgotten his name, they would have a few kids with black hair and beautiful eyes and they would live outside of New York city. She sighs, “It has been so long.”  
Nigel let’s himself in, usual Nigel.  
“Nice hotel, you’ve come a long way from the girl who needed help choosing an outfit,” he jokes albeit sarcastically.  
“Well that’s what happens when you sleep with the Editor in Chief,” she answers sarcastically.  
He turns and sits at the small table, “You didn’t just sleep with her six, you married her. You have kids with her for god’s sake!”  
“Did Miranda send you?” she asks followed by “coffee?”  
He shakes his head, “It’s too late for coffee, wine?”  
“I have scotch,” she says opening the hotel room bar.  
“Okay,” he says and they wait until two glasses of scotch sit on the table.  
“No… your Grandmother called me,” he says.  
Andrea nearly spits her liquid, “my grandmother doesn’t even know you!”  
“I know,” he says.  
She deadpans, she expects an explanation, "Apparently Miranda called your grandmother to see if you could get in touch with you, you haven’t answered your phone for whole day, and Miranda gave my number to your grandmother so you would not think that she sent me, and I was not supposed to say that".  
“You flew from New York just to do Miranda a favor?” she asks looking frantically at her watch, it had been a whole day. Wow the drinks and sleeping pills must have been strong. Part of her wants to rush to her phone and see the messages, see the articles on the media.  
“No, that would be impossible,” he states coldly.  
“I was in Paris. It was a drive,” he says throwing back the rest of his whiskey.  
“What does Miranda want?” Andrea asks being brought back to the reality of it all.  
“To know you’re safe, I suppose. You’re grandmother seemed like a sweet woman and one you should answer your phone to,” he scolds. He is older, he is still dressed impeccably. A plaid suit on top of black Armani pants and a matching shirt. His glasses seem to be Tom Ford and he has gained a little weight though not enough to be noticed.  
Andrea is aware of how she must look. Her long locks are messy and greasy, she still has the same silk blouse from yesterday, wrinkled no doubt. She looks down at her feet she hasn’t done her toe nails in a few weeks and her jeans are probably the only decent thing she’ s got on.  
Nigel probably realizes that and the next words out of his mouth are not what she was expecting.  
“Why don’t I call your grandmother tell her you’re fine and then we go shopping? It’s been a long time since I’ve done a makeover and what better way for two old friend to reconcile than to do the one thing that made them be friends?”  
“You were not my friend after that?” Andrea corrects.  
“Details, details, come on, go shower and I’ll place the call. Don’t put make up on, I’ll do it.”  
She smiles and does as instructed, she’s too tired and sad to argue.  
She was right, she looks in the mirror. She is older than she remembers. She looks tired and her eyes are blotchy. Hopefully Nigel still works Miracles like she remembers.


	9. Freedom

The silence that ensues while Nigel does Andrea’s makeup is not comfortable; yet, it isn’t uncomfortable. It is a medium drenched in the gravity of the situation.   
Nigel doesn’t attempt idle talk, he understand that sometimes the mere company of someone is enough. He applies the blurring base with a brightener tone, and concealer around her dark circles and puffy eyes. The eyeshadow will be purple the best compliment for brown eyes.  
“What did I do wrong?” Andrea asks as he attempts to contour her cheek bones.  
He sighs never losing the steady of his hand against her skin.  
“Miranda doesn’t love easily or better said she doesn’t often know how to love. I would never excuse her, yet I know that she loves you. She loves you more than I’ve ever seen her love.”  
“Is that why you agreed to come?” Andrea asks softly, he’s advanced to eyeliner.   
He shakes his head slightly, holding his lips slightly parted as he applied the liquid to her lids. He turns once he’s done to take apply adhesive to the lashes, the seconds tick by, neither speaks.  
“No, I came because I thought a friend was in need, I thought you could use some company.”  
“And not Miranda?” she pushes.  
“this isn’t a competition six, I came because she asked and I came because you’re my friend. You both are."  
She breaks into a smile and knows better than to cry after freshly applied makeup, “I miss her.”  
“I know darling, I know.”

Miranda sits absently looking at the trees that grow outside the embassy.   
“Mom?” Caroline walks in shyly holding a cup of milk.  
“Caroline?”   
“Is mommy not coming back?” she asks referring to Andrea.   
“Oh bobsey,” she says her heart constricting from the pain. She can deal with her own pain after all it was her fault. She was to blame for having destroyed her own family. Seeing her daughters suffer, that’s another things. Seeing Caroline with her large blue eyes and her fire red hair in a neat braid ask about her other mother, well it breaks her heart. It breaks her resolution to not go beg Andrea forgiveness.   
“She’s always going to be back for you, she’s always going to be your mother,” she says and she’s sure of it. She knows Andrea, she knows that she’s going to fight to keep all three girls in her life.   
“But she won’t come home with us?” Caroline asks again.   
Miranda stays quiet her eyes glisten with the offset of tears. “I’m not sure darling,” she says to make the real answer less painful. She’s completely sure Andrea won’t forgive her. She had hope before the scandal broke out, but now she was at a loss. If she’s honest she has no explanation as to the affair. Does anyone ever have an explanation for such things? People cheat for no other reason that they are bad people. The keep affairs silent from their wives and husbands for no other reason that they are selfish.  
She didn’t love the thin young blonde, she simply had let herself be led by curiosity, by stupidity, by lust.   
Blake had kissed her one day after on a trip to Berlin. They had been staying at the downtown Hyatt Regency and the rooms were just across the hall. Nothing had happened that night, more than a few glasses of wine and a kiss. It was Miranda who was at fault, she didn’t put a stop to it. She didn’t set her clear, she didn’t set an ultimatum. So the next time it happened a week after, as Miranda dropped Blake off at her apartment she kissed her again.   
“I’m married,” Miranda attempted weakly.   
“I know,” Blake had said and smiled. “Would you like to come in for a drink?”  
Miranda got out of the car, it hurt her just to think about it now. If she could only find the answer to why she did it. If she could justify it with a mediocre explanation that people who cheat often give. If she could say that her home life was a wreak, that her partner did not love her, her wife was never home or an addict or something half-understandable; then maybe she’d feel better. She could not. Andrea was the most beautiful, kind and amazing person she had ever loved. Andrea had given up a lot for her, she had taken her daughters in, she had loved her unconditionally. Tears stream down as she remember Andrea’s words, “If you at least could tell me you loved her, that it had meant something!”  
She sighs.   
“Mom?” Caroline proves again.  
“Yes Bobbsey?”  
“Can I go see mommy?” she asks.  
Miranda nods, her daughters had been back two days. They were spending most of the time with Andrea but they had come back right before the scandal broke out.  
“I think she needs a day or two but I’ll call her.”  
Caroline does not argue she simply nods and cuddles next to Miranda.  
It had been a long time since she had the time to just sit here with her daughters. She could not remember how long. She imagines that the same is true for Andrea she can’t remember the last time she took Andrea out for dinner before she threw the pictures in her face.  
After a long while Caroline gets up and kisses her cheek.   
“I’m off to bed,” she says.  
Miranda nods. She’s been holding back the tears for days. She can’t stop crying. She looks at her phone, she wants to call Andrea. She wants to press call. She knows better, she knows Andrea is not ready to forgive her, if she ever does. She knows Andrea very well, she knows the brunette needs time to heal, that she does not want Miranda to beg more than she wants her to be present for her daughters. The options are both dismal and the chances that Andrea will come back are bleak but she’s brought it upon herself and Miranda has always been a woman of strength. She choose to cry today and tomorrow will be a new day.

After the makeup was done and they had a glass of wine Nigel dragged Andrea to the store.   
“A girl could always use some Valentino, and some …. Ummmm” he thumbs through the skirts at the posh downtown Munich boutique.  
“Some Carolina Herrera … look at this,” he raises a black leather skirt.  
“Here go put it on,” he shoves the two pieces into Andrea’s arms and hurries her down to the dressing room.  
It takes about two hours, they buy the two pieces. Andrea leaves the shopping experience dressed in the black leather skirt, a red and tan Valentino bow blouse and a black matching Burberry trench coat. She also has six bags on each hand and Nigel carries a hat box.  
“thank you,” she whispers as they throw the bags in the large SUV and walk down to the beautiful sidewalk café for a coffee.  
“Don’t thank me Andrea, I’m just here for the make-up and the drinks,” he says.  
She laughs, he always knows what to say. “What do I do now?” she asks.  
“what do you want to do?” he asks back.  
“I want my life back, Nigel. I want my girls, I want to keep heading the company I love, I … want Miranda back.”  
“You know what that all means?” he states more than questions.  
The air starts to chill, their coffees are almost gone.  
“It means I have to forgive her,” she whispers.  
He nods pensively.   
“Everyone will say I should not, that it’s too soon. They will talk about me.”  
“Everyone has always talked about you,” he smiles.   
She opens her mouth, she’s about to say something. She’s about to speak but she doesn’t. The clouds darken the sky, it almost looks as if it’s going to rain. Not surprising for November. Not surprising for election day back in the states, not surprising for the way her heart feels.   
Nigel reaches for her hand, “come one let’s get a real drink.”

The hotel bar is almost empty, there are a few business men who turn to look at her, clad in her leather skirt and high heels.   
Nigel raises and eyebrow.   
“Two Martinis, gin.”  
Flashes of Miranda ordering that same drink haunt her. The irony of it all is that she would have forgiven Miranda if she had been honest, she would have forgiven Miranda if she had said she thought she loved Blake, she would have forgiven Miranda before the media circus. Andrea wondered if she was more hurt in her ego than her love. She knew that Miranda loved her, just as she knew that Miranda had been selfish.  
“What everyone thinks does not matter, Six. What I think of you two as perfect together doesn’t matter. What your grandmother thinks, what the twins want, what the media thinks, those things are irrelevant. If you want to go back with her then do it. If you want to get a divorce, then do it.”  
She nods. He’s right no one will live with the consequences of her actions more than her.  
“I’ve got to back to Paris tomorrow morning,” Nigel states.   
Andrea smiles sadly.   
“Call me, come, don’t be a stranger again. I’ll be in Paris a few days before heading home.”  
“Thank you, again for another makeover,” Andrea says.

The following morning Andrea shows up at the embassy. She’s flanked by two body guards and dressed in a grey power suit.   
“You didn’t have to come, I told them not to call,” Miranda comes to greet her. She’s dressed in a navy blue power matching suit, she’s got on a red silk scarf that makes her look elegant. Andrea can imagine she would have worn something similar to Runway, except she’d have more jewelry on.   
She shrugs “It’s fine. I would have been here anyway. It’s good for the girls.”  
She pauses, she wants to say she came to see her. That this press conference that the embassy was giving was just an excuse to see her, her crystal blue eyes, her pale pearl skin, her high cheekbones and the delicate of her hands.   
“thank you,” Miranda manages to say before being pulled on stage. Andrea is directed to stand by the podium too, a few feet back.   
“What do you have to say?” the reported from the CNN asks her after Miranda has gotten off the stage.  
“I support my wife’s statement. I will always stand behind her,” Andrea answers sounding more sure than she feels. She isn’t lying. She may not forgive her but she will always stand by her. She would do it for the girls and for Miranda.   
“Thank you again An-dre-a,” she purrs and Andrea want’s to melt into her arms. This betrayal thing is so complicated. It hurts so much; yet, she loves her just the same.  
“I will drop the girls over later, or I mean I will have them dropped,” she corrects herself seeing the look of confusion in Andrea’s eyes.  
“I’m leaving next week,” Andrea states.  
“I will arrange everything,” the conversation is short. Everything will be dealt with by the embassy chief of staff, and the PR team. Miranda has a few weeks before it’s time to leave, and then she has decided to do a few charity events in Milan before heading home. It will be enough for the divorce to be in progress and her to figure out what to do.  
“Great,” Andrea says turning on her heels.  
“Oh and Andrea?” Miranda calls softly after her. Andrea turns, she’s unsure of the words that will come out of her lovers mouth. Half of her want Miranda to say she’s sorry, reinstate that it meant nothing, she wants Miranda to kiss her, to hold her hand, to assume that Andrea will forgive her.  
“The divorce papers are all signed….” There is a break of voice in Miranda, her eyes gloss over again and for someone who rarely cries she’s getting too familiar with tears.  
“You’re free.”  
Andrea nods, all she has to do is sign the agreement now. She nods and walks away. She doesn’t trust herself to say, “thank you.”  
She is not thankful. She wants Miranda to fight for her. The irony is that she knows Miranda is fighting, this is Miranda being strong, this is Miranda recognizing that she messed up, this is Miranda knowing that if Andrea ever comes back it will be on her own. This is Miranda not assuming that she will be forgiven and sacrificing her ego to let Andrea go. This is the Miranda that knows Andrea. This is the Miranda that she loves. New York will be good for Andrea, it will ground her. It will give her work to do. It will also put her right smack dab in the tigers mouth, political waste land after an election gone wrong. Andrea all alone and Miranda miles away.


	10. Tea Water

In retrospect Miranda wished she had stopped Andrea that day at the press conference. She wished she done something crazy, something apologetic, she wished she would have begged. She should have begged. It was all her fault and she had no excuse.  
“How is she Nigel?” Miranda asks as she sits down to tea with her ex-colleague.  
The bald man looks down at the leaves swimming in hot water and shrugs.  
“she’s … well she’s Andrea. She’s doing some consulting and writing in her free time. She’s taking care of Hope and the twins when they stay over. She’s good I guess…” he says whimsically.  
Miranda nods. She’s not Nigel boss anymore. She hasn’t been for years, since she resigned but Nigel still respects her as if she was. After Germany Miranda waited for the divorce paper to process, she went to Italy to work on charity projects, then Paris and after two months of waiting in silence for the divorce papers, for a custody agreement, for any sign she returns to New York. The press asks about her plans, “spend time with my family,” she replies.  
“Are you and your wife separating?” they ask.  
She smiles, “we are taking care of our children.”  
The words are true, they suffice, they should be enough but they are not.  
“She misses you, Miranda,” Nigel confesses after a beat of silence from the Ice Queen.  
Miranda looks down at her gold rimmed porcelain cup, her eyes close, they flutter and her lashes moist. “Me too Nigel.”  
“Call her,” he says. There is a flutter outside the window of her house, the twins were planting something. She smiles seeing her red headed trouble makers having fun. Andrea not having been here on a permanent basis for the last three months after almost seven years of getting used to her had been challenging for them.  
“I don’t want to pressure her. I know her. Going to apologize won’t make her come back,” Miranda explains.  
“then don’t apologize,” he answers, “Go be her friend. Go be her support. Go be the mother of her child. Go make her fall in love again. Show her this you, this vulnerable you, show her how much you miss her. She doesn’t need the ambassador, she doesn’t need the perfect Miranda, she doesn’t need diplomatic you. She needs to know you’re human and you’re suffering just like she is, she needs to know this will never happen again.”  
She shakes her head. “Andrea deserves way better than me. She deserves more.”  
Her voice is sad and tired, not a match for the deep purple dress she’s wearing. It hugs her body and pleats as the waist, it’s accompanied by a white cardigan and a black onyx necklace. Nigel looks out the now quiet window, the twins having accomplished their tasks.  
“You two are the most stubborn people on the planet,” he runs his hands through his head, “You are the best for her, you are what she wants. Don’t you know she still loves you exactly like the same day? You hurt her deeply, you betrayed her trust Miranda, you humiliated her in front of all her friends and family that she had fought against to make them believe you were her forever. You don’t get to solve this like you solve a problem at Runway or a treaty at the UN. You walk over to her house, you buy her flowers and you say… ‘I fucked up big time, can we start over? Can we be friends.’… well maybe more eloquently but you get the idea.”  
His speech is passionate enough and fiery enough and leaves Miranda pondering if he’s right. If she goes to Andrea now will the younger woman forgive her? Miranda doesn’t want Andrea to forgive her without trusting her, she doesn’t want to force Andrea into anything.  
She drives up just as Andrea is coming out behind the maid to pick a large bouquet of lavender and wildflowers. Miranda sees the smile break across her face. As the brunette hears the familiar hum of Miranda’s Mercedes she looks up. There is no driver and the silver haired woman gets out from the driver’s seat. She’s dressed down, dark jeans and a white collar shirt topped with a burgundy leather jacket.  
“I thought you could always use some lavender,” she says.  
Andrea smiles, “Miranda … you’re here.”  
“Sorry to drop by without a warning.”  
“Are the twins?” Andrea starts but is cut off by a shake of Miranda’s head as she approaches the porch.  
“They’re at home. I wanted to see you.”  
“Oh,” Andrea says.  
“Andrea I … I want us… I have no idea how to even say this.”  
“You want me to sign the divorce papers?” Andrea looks up, that is the only thing that Miranda could want. It’s been months where they only communicate about the girls and now she’s here with flowers.  
“No… not at all. I … that’s not it.”  
“The editor out of words? What will your fans say?” Andrea jokes and finally picks up the flowers.  
“That I’ve been a fool letting you go. They would say that I lost my mind betraying your trust, the most beautiful woman in the world. That I deserve is you never want to speak to me again; but, they hope you do. They hope you accept my friendship at the very least.”  
“Your friendship?” Andrea asks confused. They are standing outside still in the New York moist air and the prying eyes of neighbors.  
Miranda doesn’t know if it’s a reproach or an appalment.  
“We can start there… we can go from there or stay there. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I love you. I still love you. I will always love you. Perhaps I didn’t do enough it in Germany to let you know how I felt. How much I needed you to forgive me. I know I don’t deserve it… I know that is what people who cheat typically say,” she pauses smiles and runs her hands over her arms.  
“I’m sorry Andrea. I’m sorry for hurting you, for breaking our family, for not having an explanation that will make sense.”  
Andrea hands the flowers to the maid who’s come back at seeing the younger woman stand there with it weighting on her.  
“I already told you I’d forgive you, Miranda. You will always be the mother of my child, the woman who I share three daughters with and wonderful memories. I will always love you as that.”  
Andrea’s tone is firm and finite. Miranda feels the cold.  
“I see.”  
Andrea sighs, “Miranda..”  
“I understand Andrea. I … There is no place where you’re wrong. It really was all my fault.”  
The brunette wants to say something, she wants to make her ex-lover feel better but she can’t. It’s pride and hurt mixed in a pot with love and tears.  
Miranda pulls out a black box she was holding in her left hand.  
“It’s for you, for the birthday I missed,” Miranda extends her hand.  
Andrea opens her mouth.  
“The twins helped me pick it, please take it.”  
Andrea nods, her expression changes.  
“What are you doing now?”  
She’s referring to professionally, what are Miranda’s Priestley’s next plans.  
“Missing you,” she accepts in a soft voice.  
“that was not what I meant,” Andrea answers eager to change the subject. She wants to invite Miranda in. There is no excuse. Hope is out, the twins are not there and …. Before she can continue to think Miranda answers.  
“I’m flying out to Paris next week to do some consulting with Runway Paris, maybe I’ll stay there for a while.”  
“and the girls?” Andrea asks.  
“they have you,” Miranda answers and leans in to give Andrea the softest of hugs.  
“I have to go, I have an appointment,” she lies. Andrea nods and watches Miranda walk away. She feels a knot in the pit of her stomach, she doesn’t even go back inside. Maura will turn the tea water off. She sits on the bench and wishes she had someone to comfort her. Her mother or father someone who would tell her she had been right in not allowing Miranda back in her life. The older woman would only hurt her again.


	11. The Beach House ~

“Andrea Sachs?” she had opened the door in the absence of Maura to a young man dressed in jeans and black jacket handing her an envelope.  
She nodded. He handed her the white cardboard envelope and walked off.  
She thought it would be a court summons but it wasn’t. As she opened it half expecting a death threat and half expecting a joke she realized the only thing inside of it was a ticket to see Anastasia on Broadway.  
It was for tomorrow night, special box section, meet and greet with the cast.  
She didn’t want to anticipate but it had to be, the phone rang.  
“Andrea?”  
“Miranda” she answered soothingly.  
“I got a ticket to see a show tomorrow night,” Andrea pauses she wants to sound excited but she can’t.  
“I hope you’ll forgive me for buying it before asking, I was … I wanted you to accompany my.”  
“Like a date?” Andrea asks. She knows it sounds trivial but she wants to know what this is.  
“Like a friend,” Miranda clarifies, “like a very dear and close friend.”  
Andrea wants Miranda to keep asking, to keep begging. Her quick acceptance of a friendship status disappoints her. She knows it sounds contradictory to what she has just told the former ambassador a few days away.  
“I would like that.”  
Miranda smiles even though no one sees her. Maybe it was that, their lack of apparent foundation. They had not been friends or girlfriends first. They had gone from 0 to 100 in a few days. They had gotten married after what could be considered a one night stand, had a child within a few months and uprooted their whole life to go to Germany. Maybe it had been all of that which drove them apart, which seemed like madness to Miranda. She had always been so independent even when married, she never loved completely, never gave completely, never changed her whole existence for someone else. Andre had changed that , she had been a breath of fresh air. With Andrea there had not been anything to get to know, they had simply known that their love if not their partnership would last a lifetime. Miranda could not imagine loving anyone else, she could not imagine marrying someone else. She could not see herself sharing her heart, her kids, her bed with another lover that does not have Andrea’s brown pools that qualified as eyes, or her soft brunette locks splayed over the bed. She could not imagine life without Andrea in it.  
She takes a deep breath when Roy pulls up to Andrea’s new home. Roy has stayed with them in all their changes and though Miranda never mentioned it, she considered him family.  
“Roy,” she said deciding to this would be just as good time as ever to mention it.  
“Miranda?” he asked overlooking through the rearview mirror.  
“I don’t think I have ever told you how much I appreciate your services,” she offered.  
“thank you, it’s my job,” he said caught off guard. His boss had changed a lot over the years, the arrival of Andrea and the new baby had made her softer, easier to read. Still she had never bothered to offer praise.  
“I hope we’re more than that Roy, I think of you as part of our family,” she smiles and he responds with one too as he gets out of the car to get Andrea.  
“Thank you, I feel the same way Miranda. I wish only the best for the both of you,” he says still scared that he could overstep.  
“I do too, Roy. I do too.”  
Andrea glides into the seat a few minutes later and offers a shy, “Hello.”  
“Andrea you look lovely,” she says.  
Her lips tug upward and she nods, “ever the gallant one.”  
The ride is very silent, they hum and whisper about this and that. When they pull up at the Broadway entrance Miranda offers her arm to Andrea who takes it and they walk in together to see the show. Again they talk very little, Miranda glances here and there to see her wife engaged in the show. She forgot how much she used to love taking Andrea to the theater more than anything to see her eyes never leave the stage.  
Andrea feels Miranda looking at her and turns to smile at the older woman. Miranda could be happy with this, with simple friendships. She could be content with having Andrea be just her friends, it would not be enough but it would suffice.  
She doesn’t have dinner planned, she doesn’t want to push Andrea. It is the brunette who voices her desire for a drink.  
“Want to grab a cocktail with me?”  
Miranda nods, she always nods.  
They stop at a bar near the theater, old fashioned and famous for having been the hub of theater and movie actors as well. Famous luminaries sat in all those chairs and pictures of said golden era stars line the walls.  
“I had a good time,” Miranda starts over a piece of bread that sits between them.  
Andrea nods, she agrees. “me too.”  
They talk about the girls, Cassidy has joined ballet classes.  
Andrea tells Miranda of all the things they did while she was still in Milan and Miranda smiles and laughs at her daughters silliness.  
“Are you still flying out to Paris?”  
Miranda nods, “a day after tomorrow.”  
“How long will you be there,” Andrea asks. Miranda’s heart flutters. She hopes that Andrea is asking because she wants her to return soon.  
“I will be there two weeks officially but I don’t have much to do here.”  
Andrea finishes the second drink that sits in front of her and waves for the waiter to bring the check. Miranda hasn’t even touched her second drink.  
“I can’t do this Miranda,” she whispers over clenched teeth.  
“do what?” the silver haired woman asks.  
“Us, I …”  
“I’m just asking for your friendship. I will never push for anything else.”  
“Why did you do it?” Andrea asks. She’s been wondering for the past months. She wants a solid explanation.  
“I don’t know Andrea. It was all so suffocating for a moment, I guess I was afraid of you being the true love of my life. I’m not good at loving Andrea, I feel like I’m always at fault, that I’m not enough. Self- sabotage of the highly successful.”  
“Every time I look at you all I think of is Germany, the blonde girl at the hotel door and the media,” Andrea’s breath is shaky.  
Miranda’s face schools but not because she’s mad or upset. It schools because there is such immeasurable sadness that she can’t think of how to feel. Her beautiful blue eyes cast downward and she plays with the stem of her wineglass.  
“I’m sorry. I can’t offer you my friendship,” the younger brunette offers.  
“I can’t say I don’t understand my dear, I wish I could erase that hurt. I wish I could turn back time but I can’t. All I can do is promise I will only ever love you. That includes letting you go and giving you the freedom you need. Why haven’t you signed the divorce papers?” Miranda asks.  
“I don’t know,” Andrea answers as the waiter comes back to pick the check. Andrea has paid without telling Miranda.  
They walk out without another word. Miranda asks Roy to drive Andrea to her house.  
“And you?” Andrea asks.  
“I’ll get a cab.”  
Andrea doesn’t argue about the danger of a taxi at this hour for one of the most influential women in New York.  
“Andrea?” Miranda asks right before the car door closes.  
The brunette holds the door open for a second longer.  
“Sign them.”

~~

“You know what love does not do?” the Sachs matriarch asks her granddaughter as she sits with some coffee having come over to see the three girls for a week.  
“Hold anger?” Andrea guesses.  
“Forgive. Love always forgives my darling,” the old woman whispers softly and kindly.  
Andrea watches the tears fall from her own eyes.  
“She broke my heart ,she made me look bad.”  
“She make a mistake,” her grandmother answers, “we all do. Some are graver than the others. She’s trying. Do you really see the rest of your life without her?”  
Andrea stills, she looks at her grandmother. Then out at the empty streets. She analysis the leaves swaying from the trees, “I don’t know.”  
“you seem to not know a lot lately. I know one thing for you. If you are unsure of letting her go, then give her a chance.”

She didn’t heed her Grandmothers advice, not that day anyway, or the following or the next week. No it was until 12 days later, when a few minutes before ten she had the chauffeur drive her to MIranda’s house, to their house, she knocked because she didn’t want to open the door. She knew Miranda would not open, but that she’d look out the window and see who at this hour rang the bell.  
She wasn’t mistaken, Miranda met her at the top of the stairs.  
“Is everything all right?” she asked worried thinking something was wrong with the girls.  
Andrea nodded, “Never again, do you promise?”  
Miranda kneaded her brow, confused.  
“You can never cheat on me again, there are no second chances,” she said  
Miranda still did not answer.  
“Miranda?”  
“Andrea… I”  
“Did you change your mind?” the brunette asks vainly.  
Miranda smiles slowly, a creeping sparkle appears in her blue ocean eyes.  
“About you? Never. I promise of course I promise.”  
“I once told you, we were different and that I’d always love you. It was true I meant it. I forgive you Miranda, let’s put it behind us and go from there.”  
Miranda nodded pulling her wife closer but not reaching in for a kiss unsure still of where they stood.  
Andrea wasn’t, she pushed Miranda into the door frame, opened it slowly and pushed both of them inside.  
Her long fingers ran down Miranda’s night blouse and she leaned in to kiss her wife.  
“Make love to me Miranda, like you used to.”  
Miranda smiled and pulled the younger woman onto the lounge chair nearby.  
“Like the first time?” she asked unzipping Andrea’s jeans and pulling off her own blouse, Andrea’s hands ran into her hair, stumbled on her shoulders and glided down her abs.  
“Like the first time, and all the times after… I…love you” she whispered heavy breathing interrupting her words.  
Miranda chuckled and dug into her lovers core  
“Oh yes, yes!” Andrea cried out  
“Andrea…” Miranda echoed and when it was over, tangled out in the lounge chair tired and sticky Andrea let her hair rest on Miranda’s shoulder.  
“We’re all collectors Andrea, of souvenirs, of key chains and stamps  
Collectors of art, and antiques  
Of people and memories” she exhaled they were breathing together.  
“I am a collector of hope” Andrea offered.  
Miranda got up and said “I’m a collector of us, of every milestone and every dream.”  
“I bought this for you a few months ago, it wasn’t appropriate then but it is now.”  
She handed her wife a bracelet, in rose gold and studded diamonds but what caught her breath were the pendants that dangled. A beach, for their beach house, a martini for their first date, a ring for their marriage, a heart, an Eiffel tower for Paris, a baby rattle for Hope and then a tower of pizza”  
“what it is this?”  
“Rome, let’s go to Rome after Paris, we’ll take the girls and live like the Romans.”  
Andrea nodded and then we’ll go home? do you absolutely promise? To the beach house where we fell in love?”  
Miranda nods, “I promise.”

~  
“Wasn’t it a test? those days?” Andrea asked.  
Miranda shrugged, “I don’t know darling, those years were the most beautiful, most stressful, most painful years of my life but I would not call them a test. I would call them a gift, I would say that without those years my life would be less fulfilling, devoid of all that makes it happy today. Without those years there would be no you, no Hope, no happy twins, no us. If I had to I would do it all over again” she finished toasting her cup to the small audience at the ball room. It was their tenth year anniversary and they had decided mostly on the twins insistence who were now full swing teenagers and about to leave for college that they go big, to throw a party. All of Washington and wall street was there, but mostly their family was there, their close friends and their daughters of course. Andrea’s brother who in time had given in was there and her grandmother who had passed away was only there in spirit. Miranda’s secretary and her childhood best friend was there. It was them looking up with wide smiles and champagne glasses that made the whole outlandish thing worthwhile.  
“did you mean it?” Andrea asked when they did the first dance  
“what?”  
“that you would do it all again? even…” she paused not wanting to bring up the most painful experience that almost broken them apart  
“It made us who we are, it made us realize we were stronger than just ourselves, that we loved more than we hated, that we were forever.”  
Andrea nodded against her wife’s shoulder, point in the music which she used to pull them out of the dance floor and everyone else jumped in. They traveled to the balcony.  
“I could not imagine my life without you, Miranda you were just it, you were that person I had been searching for all my life. You were the one.”  
Miranda had tears in her eyes.  
“I miss my grandmother, I wish she could have been here to see us, our family. You know you owe us to her, she made me see how much I would hate myself for not forgiving you”  
“I know”  
“how?”  
“I told her what I did before the press did,” Miranda confesses.  
“she never told me.”  
“I know.”  
“she was great wasn’t she?”  
Miranda nodded  
“she really liked you as my wife, she fought for you,” Andrea explains.  
“I know, I saw her as my own family,” Miranda answers.  
“she was. We are the best family I could wish for,” Andrea leans in to kiss Miranda and she’s glad to be here in her arms. She could stay there forever.


End file.
